Many disease-causing agents such as Salmonella can survive for weeks in biofilm in water pipes, representing a constant source of contamination for the house and possible infection for the birds.

Water supply systems must be properly cleaned and disinfected between all flocks.

Proper cleaning can help prevent mineral deposits and precipitated inert and biological material deposits that deter water flow sometimes by as much as 70-80% .

Many popular products, such as acidifiers and others, can create favorable conditions for the growth of yeast and fungi .

These fungi and yeasts can grow even in waters with an acidic pH as long as they are immersed in biofilm capable of blocking the drinkers, which can become a serious problem.

To ensure that the pipes are effectively cleaned, the first step is to answer the following questions:

Untreated well water, for example water that does not receive any daily treatment with sanitary products or disinfectants, is the most vulnerable to the formation of scabs or biofilm in the pipes. Most municipal or rural piped water contains at least 0.2 ppm of available or free chlorine that can help reduce bacterial growth.

However, since the water used for poultry farms is often well water and is handled differently than municipal water (low pressure, slow flow, and with added products such as vitamins for example), this makes the cleaning of the pipes a paramount step.

_{What products have been used in the water pipes?}

If additives such as vitamins, electrolytes, sugar-based products, promoters containing minerals and vitamins, or products based on weak acids have been used, it is highly likely to result in a significant amount of biofilm. Once this biofilm has been settled in the pipes, cleaning becomes 10 to 1000 times more difficult.

For this reason, it is important to use aggressive cleaners that facilitate their removal.

_{What is the mineral content in the water?}

Calcium and magnesium are frequently responsible for the formation of precipitates that are observed in the form of whitish crusts .

If the water contains more than 60 ppm of either of these two minerals and if the pH of the water is above 7, then there is a good chance of mineral precipitation forming in the pipes and drinking system, which will have to be removed using an acid-based cleaner designed for the treatment of nipple drinker systems.

Other common mineral contaminants include iron, manganese, and sulfur.

• When there is a relatively high concentration of iron, this can result in the precipitation of brown or reddish residues, while manganese and sulfur tend to form black crusts. When there is a significant content of sulfur in the water, it produces an odor similar to that of burning matches.
• If the water smells like a broken egg, then it is likely high in hydrogen sulfide or sulfuric acid.
• This compound is a by-product that results from the metabolism of bacteria related to sulfur and in this case the pipes will have to be cleaned with a more aggressive product.

It may still be necessary to apply a chlorine shock directly to the well. If farm-installed filters appear rusty or black, in these cases it is important to use an aggressive acid-based cleaner after purging the pipes.

Sometimes persistent health problems caused by E. coli, necrotic enteritis, or respiratory problems are recorded that do not respond to improvements in the management, cleaning and disinfection of the houses, or to the increase in the number of days of sanitary vacuum.

The culprit for persistent health problems of bacterial origin may be hidden in the water supply, particularly in water pressure regulators, the house pipes themselves, and even underground pipes. In these cases, using the correct cleaner can help improve the situation substantially.

Biofilm may be responsible for persistent health problems in houses.

_{Choosing the right product}

After identifying the type of cleaning that will be most beneficial, the next step is to choose a product that will not damage your equipment. Currently, there are different acid-based products that can be used to remove the crusts of precipitated material, for this you can consult with different suppliers to study the options.

It should be remembered that for the product to be effective in detaching the crusts, it must be able to lower the pH below 6.

Using only a highly concentrated bleach solution is not a good option because it is not an effective cleaner, and it can damage water pressure regulators and nipple drinkers as well.

The same is true for many other cleaners that are not good for this purpose but can otherwise be good house disinfectants.

Iodine is not very effective against biofilms and therefore is not a good option.

Highly concentrated stabilized hydrogen peroxide

• Some of the most effective products that do not harm drinking equipment are highly concentrated stabilized hydrogen peroxide based chemicals.
• The active ingredients in these products are different from ordinary hydrogen peroxide that you can buy in pharmacies or other suppliers because the stabilizer prevents the product from being converted to water and oxygen before it ends its function.

Chlorine dioxide

• There are also several products based on chlorine dioxide, but these are more effective when an acidifying product is present, which may require a double injection system in the pipelines or some system to mix both products safely before injecting them into the pipes.

Ammonia or Ammonium

• A third type of product used by the industry is based on Ammonia or Ammonium.
• These products have been tested to verify their effectiveness on surfaces where algae persist and it has been seen that using one ounce of ammonia (30 ml) for every gallon of water (3.78 liters) was not as effective as using an 3% ammonia solution.
• However, it is recommended to check with the equipment manufacturer if there are any contraindications to using ammonia-based products.

The most important thing to remember is that biofilms and bacteria within them, as well as fungi and yeasts, can only be removed using cleaners that contain a disinfectant product .

It should also be considered that the concentration of the product must be sufficient to eliminate crusts, bacteria, fungi and yeasts without causing any damages to the equipment. Careful attention must be paid to the safety recommendations indicated for each product.

Cleaning of the system

After the birds have been removed from the house it is time to clean the system immediately.

Flushing the pipes

• The water lines should be flushed first and if possible a high pressure flushing system should be used.
• The goal is to remove any loose sediment in the pipes .
• This opportunity should be taken to ensure that the water pressure indicator hoses are working properly and thus ensure that there are no air gaps inside the pipes during the cleaning process.

Injecting the product into the pipes

• Subsequently, the way to inject the product into the pipes must be determined.
• The use of dispensers for this purpose does not provide the correct concentration, so it is better to use injectors specifically designed and that can add the correct concentration of product to each gallon of water. There are injectors like the Qwik Blend or Mix Right for example, which work very well because they can inject four ounces of product into each gallon of water to create a 3% solution.
• Another very effective alternative is to mix the cleaner in a 55 gallon capacity barrel or a 100 gallon stock solution tank, then use a submersible water pump with a power of 1/4 to 1/2 horsepower. force to directly inject the mixture into each line of drinkers. To produce a 3% solution, add one gallon of the concentrated product to every 30 gallons of water.

A 400-foot-long (120 meter) house with eight drinker lines (approximately seven gallons per line) requires about 60 gallons of water (230 liters) to clean the lines.

A 500-foot-long (150 meter) house requires approximately 75 to 80 gallons of water (285-300 liters).

The ideal way to clean

The ideal way to clean the lines is to start at the well level to clean both underground pipes and house pipes.

Underground pipes

• If underground pipes are cleaned, dirty water should not be flushed through the house’s drinking pipes, but through a faucet located before the start of the house pipes. This is a good practice because underground pipes can also be a source of contamination.
• However, this action can be counterproductive if the distribution pipes are too dirty and waste is allowed to be directed into the houses.
• Underground pipes can only be flushed through the house pipes when there is a faucet that can drain the underground pipes before the water has access to the houses .

Sheds’ piping

• The nipples will have to be actuated to facilitate the chemical to flow not only inside the pipes but also through the nipples.
• Once the pipes have been loaded with the cleaning product, the product is allowed to remain in the pipes for at least 72 hours. Although this is recommended to facilitate cleaning, the equipment producer should always be consulted and verify that this procedure will not damage the equipment.
• Once the pipes have been cleaned, if there is still a significant accumulation of minerals, then the pipes should be cleaned again with an acid product.
• It is also recommended to clean the water distribution facilities that carry the water to the houses. When this is done, these pipes should not be drained through the house drinker lines as this will carry the waste directly to the drinkers.

_{How to keep the system clean}

Water pipe cleaning practices between each flock are only half the battle. Even with a good cleaning, if there is a significant concentration of bacteria, fungi and yeast in the system, then there is a good chance that the biofilm will re-form in as little as two to three days.

For this reason, the last step is to establish a daily water sanitation program. This will benefit both the birds and the system itself.

• Many of the farms that consistently achieve a better rate of productivity have a system that allows them to drain the drinking pipes daily, thus preventing the accumulation of minerals, bacteria, fungi and yeasts. The pipes are flushed daily and this way clean water is always provided to the birds.
• The program can be enriched by acidifying the water and making sure the filters are always clean. A common mistake is not cleaning the filters frequently, or changing them only once a year. Filter maintenance should be done on a daily basis to ensure that they function properly.